NYC to require sexual harassment training

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Dive Brief:

New York City's council has passed an ordinance requiring that employers in the city provide workers with sexual harassment training beginning April 2019. According to various media reports, Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign the bill into law.

The Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act will require businesses with more than 15 employees to provide interactive training to staff, managers and supervisors every year. New hires must be trained within 90 days of their start date.

The law also details what training must include and mandates workplace notices and information sheets.

Dive Insight:

New York’s ordinance is similar to California’s AB-1825, which requires mandatory managerial training to curb sexual harassment.

At the same time, other employers are taking it upon themselves to increase such training; in fact, vendors are reporting significantly increased demand in light of the #MeToo movement. Similarly, recruiters are reporting that the movement has sparked increased demand for women in positions of authority across the country.

But as employers turn to diversity and training to curb harassment, it's important to remember to look at all levels of an organization, one expert says. While egregious stories about high-profile executives have dominated headlines in recent months, even front-line managers have power that can be abused, Jonathan Segal, partner at Duane Morris LLP, recently told HR Dive. "We’re focusing on people with uber power and a lot of writers and lawyers are talking about the superstars — rainmakers, execs — but we’re measuring power through our eyes,” he said. “And I think we need to be looking at power through the eyes of those victimized.”